On Voting

[Galileo]

I'm interested to know your opinions on the following questions.

Is voting a right, a privilege or a responsibility?

by that I mean, Is it something you should do voluntarily or is it something you should have to do.

Is it also something that can be taken away from you if you fail to comply with society's laws?

For example, in Australia, people who do not vote are supposed to get a fine. I don't know how often this is actually the case, but a good deal more people vote in Australia than in the USA or the UK.

Also, a good deal of people support the idea of compulsarry voting here.

I support it because it means that in schools we're taught a good deal more about our democratic process than in other countries. Many australians also seem to be more politically aware, judging from the many people I have met online. We take more of an interest in our politics on the whole.

I also like it because it forces more people to actually vote. What I dislike about a voluntary voting system is that people don't vote because they couldn't be bothered or whatever, but then feel they have every right to complain about the governments actions. I feel that if you don't actually participate in your democratic process then you don't really have any right to complain about it when it lets you down.


In the EU they are now trying to give prisoners the right to vote. Do you think this is correct? or is voting something that society can choose to revoke from you if you commit a crime?


I haven't really made my mind up about this one yet. partially I think yes, because the criminal has chosen not to be a part of normal society by breaking one of its laws, but part of me says no, because politicians effect the lives of prisoners too, and because I don't see voting as a right, but as a responsibility.

anyway, interested in your thoughts.

 

[StopAndBeFriendly]

We're voting on voting

 

[kita]

I think everyone should be encouraged to vote, including people in prison.

At the same time I don't want totally uninformed people voting for whatever name or issue is listed first on the ballet, which I think would probably happen if everyone was required to vote. There have been times that I haven't voted because I wasn't informed and didn't think I should without really knowing the issues. I guess I'm undecided if it should be required or not.

 

[magister343]

Voting should never be mandatory.

People should be encouraged to inform themselves on the issues and the candidates, and discouraged from voting whenever they doubt their competence at making the best decision.



Most voting systems are pretty much a joke. The electoral system should never force one to pick the lesser of two evils. Rather, it should allow individuals to rate their preference for each candidate independently. (Note I do not just mean their order of preference, but the degree. I'm for Range Voting, not IRV.) This encourages electors to research multiple candidates and points of view rather than jumping on a bandwagon, greatly weakens the power of political parties, and selects for moderate candidates that reach out to their opposition rather than pandering to certain interest groups.

 

[Galileo]

but it's also possible to vote based on how a certain candidate would personally effect you.

and I always consider myself informed on that.

for example, the Liberal party here are like the republican party in the USA, and regardless of the topical issues at the tim, I know from past experience that my life will net be easier under them as they tend to like cutting the benifits of the disabled while at the same time making it easier for employers to deny us jobs.

they've never done a single thing to lower the unemployment rate among the disabled and hense I can never vote for them.

 

[TomarctusHU]

I voted it as responsibility, but only because it could improve the stupidly low attendance we have here. >_<

Last time it was ~46%, in some regions ~33%.

 

[uuu]

Voting should never be mandatory.

People should be encouraged to inform themselves on the issues and the candidates, and discouraged from voting whenever they doubt their competence at making the best decision.

+1
In countries where everyone has to vote, lots will make nonsense of it. As it stands we have a fairly high turnout in the US - it's not like 80% of the population isn't represented or something.

 

[the]

I have never been a big proponent for voting. I only voted, maybe twice in my life and those times were only cause I'd get a break from work. Voting is kind of a sham because people in prison aren't allowed to vote. To me, that is like the American Government is playing the part of Great Brittan, and prisoners are playing the part of the American Revolutionaries. Not the best analogy but who cares.

Secondly no matter who I vote for I wont be represented. Unless I vote for myself, but I wont get the majority of votes so I wont get elected and then I still wont be represented.

 

[not sure]

Voting should never be mandatory.

People should be encouraged to inform themselves on the issues and the candidates, and discouraged from voting whenever they doubt their competence at making the best decision.



Most voting systems are pretty much a joke. The electoral system should never force one to pick the lesser of two evils. Rather, it should allow individuals to rate their preference for each candidate independently. (Note I do not just mean their order of preference, but the degree. I'm for Range Voting, not IRV.) This encourages electors to research multiple candidates and points of view rather than jumping on a bandwagon, greatly weakens the power of political parties, and selects for moderate candidates that reach out to their opposition rather than pandering to certain interest groups.

+1

Also, I would like more opportunities to vote on issues. As it stands now, my vote is only sought for which party takes control of the parliament so, the effectiveness of my vote is compromised because it represents too many issues at once. In effect, having only one opportunity to vote every 5 years puts me in the position where I tend to be voting against one set of thugs because I believe they are worse than another set of thugs. That's just not good enough.

 

[invisible]

last time i had to fill out a ballot i just scribbled "no confidence" all over it. i don't even know why i did that. it was like some sort of weird compulsion that came out of nowhere. i was watching my hand do it and i tried to stop it but my hand just continued doing it. then my hands folded up the papers and put them in the boxes. i don't even know why it happened. it was like my hands were possessed by a demon. it's very confusing. what if i lost control of my actions this way in an important situation? sometimes i worry about what i might do.

 

[dream echo]

To me, the right to vote should remain a right.

I have the right to free speech...but I don't have to speak.

I should have the right not to vote if I choose.

I have never voted.

Passing a law to force someone to vote, and fining them if they don't, won't do anything except increase the number of people at the polls...people who don't know or don't care about the issues. How is that helpful?

 

[slant]

I voted no

 

[just me]

Voting is a way for most people to express their opinions on subjects they know almost nothing about most of the time, little about some of the time, and what they need to know to make proper decisions mostly none of the time. I would say this would be voted an unpopular explanation, because it questions human rights people take personally. I feel along with rights come responsibilities, which many people take entirely too lightly.

I think voting without taking the responsibility to research a subject properly is a waste if it is in regards to something the voter knows little to nothing about. I think doing the research regarding things one knows little to nothing about before one votes is the responsibility.

If I were to research a subject and vote with an educated mindset regarding said subject, another person could vote against my vote and neutralize its studied influence on a proper decision.......just to be voting because they can.

Some amendments are worded so rediculously I even have to question their legal intent.

It took a comedian to show how rediculous it can get.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv3RmwCPEQk&feature=related"]YouTube - Robin Williams[/ame]

 

[CalamityJane]

In the EU they are now trying to give prisoners the right to vote. Do you think this is correct? or is voting something that society can choose to revoke from you if you commit a crime?


I haven't really made my mind up about this one yet. partially I think yes, because the criminal has chosen not to be a part of normal society by breaking one of its laws, but part of me says no, because politicians effect the lives of prisoners too, and because I don't see voting as a right, but as a responsibility.

anyway, interested in your thoughts.

In my opinion:
Voting is a right but if you're imprisoned you're deprived of your rights, and with a reason. So I hope they won't change that.
Voting is also a responsibility in a moral context.

 

[Neuropedia]

I was listening to the radio last night and a man told me it's a responsibility to not vote if you are uninformed or malinformed.

But like, ima policy studies student and I consider my self uninformed because I don't know everything about public policy, and i know people who think they're well informed because they hate conservatives.

I agree with him, but the effects of this message on an audience would have its opposite effect.

 

[kita]

I had actually forgotten that people in prison can lose their right to vote. I think it would be better if they could keep that right. I don't see the harm in it and it might actually help with rehabilitation by keeping them interested and invested in what is going on outside of prison.

 

[Neuropedia]

I had actually forgotten that people in prison can lose their right to vote. I think it would be better if they could keep that right. I don't see the harm in it and it might actually help with rehabilitation by keeping them interested and invested in what is going on outside of prison.

prolly because it enforces the notion that they acted outside the rules governing a society and therefore, at least temporarily, lost their right to belong to it